A story is told that Itzhak Perlman had just begun performing when a violin string broke.  Rather than stop and replace the string, the master violinist continued to play.  In his head, he transposed the music, playing the same notes on another string or rearranging the piece to accommodate his altered violin.

When he completed the piece, the audience gave a thunderous ovation to his mastery and agility.  "It is the artist's task," Perlman said, once the cheering subsided, "to make beautiful music with what you have left."

Discussing these and other remarkable educators with my friend Lee Shulman, we were struck by the Perlman-like resilience so many Jewish educators apply to their craft.  So often under-resourced, making do with the equivalent of only three violin strings, Jewish teachers often make "beautiful music" with what they have.  We need to ensure that playing with the broken string is the exception, not the rule - when we equip our educators with the instruments they need, we invest in our future.  And, we should raise our voices in praise of the dedicated educators who give so much of themselves to educate us, to educate our children and to lay the foundation of our Jewish community. 

Among Jewish education's challenges, two "broken strings" loom large:

We begin with a small step - a recognition and an appreciation for the dedication and hard work our educators put in all year long.  We continue by providing resources, professional development, consultations and more in support of educators.  We will strive to do more, seeking strategies to address the challenges I mentioned above. 

Do you have ideas that may help?  Please let me know!